Find Your Strength
Be Strong like a Mutha
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You’re a Mom! Great, right?
You used to love to move your body - jumping, running, lifting, but these days you’re not so sure.
You’re worried about wrecking your body, and getting injured.
You’re concerned about peeing yourself, having abs that are split, pelvic pain, and feeling like your vagina is falling out of you.
You’re unsure about how to navigate this chapter of motherhood with your desire to move your body like you used to.
You want to reconnect with your body in a way that feels fun, safe, and effective without it being all-consuming and losing your precious free time.
If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place!
Introducing Strong Like a Mutha -your first and next steps on your postpartum fitness journey.
Strong Like a Mutha is an ongoing online program that starts from the foundations and builds up to the goal of having strength, knowledge and confidence to move your body how you want without the worry of any symptoms or injuries rearing their ugly heads.
Postpartum fitness looks different from fitness before kids and that’s exactly why you feel overwhelmed, confused, and even afraid.
Rest assured, you’re not alone. Your body has gone through one of the most difficult, life-altering things it can by growing and then popping out your baby. And it didn’t end there. Now you have tiny humans around requiring your strength, time, and energy.
Strong Like a Mutha focuses on giving you the knowledge to understand how your body has changed and the tools to keep moving forward, at your own pace, toward your fitness goals.
By the time you finish the first part of the program (SLM Foundations), you will have the strength and confidence to move your body how you want – not just in your workouts, but in your everyday life.
Then moving on to the SLM Collective, you get to continue gaining strength and confidence in your body so that you’re able to do what you want, when you want with your body for the long haul of life.
One of the biggest challenges you face when you start to get back into fitness is knowing what kinds of exercises can help you move towards your goals, and which ones might not be the best right now. After all, your body may feel very, very different to you right now. You may feel weak in places you never even thought about before, or scared that you’ll hurt yourself, or surprised at how much pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood have thrown you for a loop.
That’s why Strong Like a Mutha takes it one step at a time.
During the first 4 months of the SLM Foundations program, a different goal will be focused on, and the difficulty of the workouts will progress gradually. And you won’t just be going through the motions – you’ll be learning how to build a routine that fits your life.
The SLM Collective then takes you to new heights in understanding how to move within your body AND life and helps you feel at ease in moving without the worry of ending up back on an injury loop. Within the SLM Collective, you get to choose your workout journey based on your energy, time, and life needs.
So which starting point is right for you?
SLM Foundations is for any mom within one year from giving birth. You’ve been having some postpartum symptoms such as incontinence, pelvic pain, back pain, feelings of prolapse and you’re unsure how to move again. You may have already seen a pelvic health physiotherapist but feel unsure how to apply what your physio has said to how you need to move for your life with a baby in tow.
SLM Collective is for any mom who is outside of a year postpartum who has dealt with her pelvic health symptoms (seen a pelvic health physiotherapist) OR has no pelvic health symptoms. You’ve worked through figuring out your body through the past year and/or in the rehab realm but are unsure how to make the jump to moving how you used to without worry of re-injury.
If you’re unsure which path is right for you, let’s chat!
How does it work?
Each month we’ll focus on a different goal. We gradually increase the length and intensity of the workouts while addressing any injuries that you may have which allows you to stop stressing that you'll get re-injured or do more harm. This gradual progression in intensity and length of workouts ensures that your body is adapting, getting stronger, and staving off more injuries in the future.
SLM FOUNDATIONS - the first 4 months
Month #1 - Building foundations
Starting from the ground up you’ll learn how to move your body in the best way and set your mind up for success. You’re scared to start, unsure how to move your ‘new’ body. Going back to what you were doing before kids without building a good base of strength may have you standing on a hill of sand. Now imagine adding weights while you stand on sand. Not so easy eh? Instead, when we start from the base exercises and movements you’re building a brick layer big enough to stand on confidently and securely with no landslides back to injury.
Month #2 - Learning about your body and gaining consistency
Consistency is key when trying to get back to movement. This month we focus on knowing how to manage to make fitness a part of your lifestyle. We also cover those nagging pelvic health concerns - leaking, back and pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse - what they are and how to manage them so that you can move without the anxiety of making them worse.
Month #3 - Gaining confidence in movement and body
This month we hone in on what your body can really do as we add intensity to your workouts. You may have been a runner before kids, and even now, you’re going to have to run after your kid at some point. But now thinking about running or jumping makes you worry about peeing yourself, or feeling like your insides are falling out of your vagina. This month we start to work with your body to figure out running, jumping, and stopping suddenly so that you can stop having to wear that ‘just in case’ pad or liner.
Month #4 - Gaining strength in movements and body
This month is all about adding load to your body and figuring out what your body is capable of. Even if you’re not thinking about lifting heavy weights in the future, you’re going to have to move your kid. From baby to toddler to kid, you’re going to have to pick them up at some point. Through booboos, tantrums, snuggles, and playing - you don’t want to have to worry about hurting your back when you lift your increasingly heavy kid. And then there’s the life things that are thrown at you. Think about those heavy groceries, moving boxes, opening the cans! You want to do those things yourself and not have to worry about peeing yourself when you do. We also look into rest and recovery (you can’t go hard all the time), core training (sit ups aren’t your only option), and what to do when your life and body throw you curveballs. You may have setbacks, but you’ll be well-equipped to deal with them and make sure they don’t overrun your life.
SLM COLLECTIVE - the life long change
Either starting after SLM Foundations, or right into it, the SLM Collective is when we start to gain more strength, more confidence, and more knowledge in how to meet your needs both in both body and mind.
Gone are the days of the all or nothing, go hard or go home mentalities. Within the SLM Collective we train for the life you have as well as the life you want without the trash of kicking yourself when you’re down, raggin on yourself for your lack of time and energy, or feeling like you’re failing so what’s the point? Within SLM Collective, we create strategies and practice habits to make sure movement continues for the long haul - not to just make it to the next day unscathed.
By the end of Strong Like a Mutha (whether after SLM Foundations, or continuing on throughout SLM Collective), you’ll know how to manage your injuries, balance your fitness mindset, and be ready to get into that beloved activity knowing that you’ve got this.
Here's what you get inside Strong Like a Mutha
During the Foundations program, you get 2 live group workout classes per month. I want you to feel confident in what you’re doing and to be able to ask the questions that come up when you start to move again.
Moving into the Collective, you get 1 live group workout class per month where we go through that month’s program and address any questions or concerns that you might run into so that you feel confident in what you should feel and do and what to do if that isn’t what you’re experiencing.
Live classes
Workouts
Each week you’ll get your workouts delivered through a free-to-you app called TrueCoach app with the option of 2 workout days, 1-2 mobility days, and one higher intensity day. Each week includes flexibility in the workout schedule for you to choose how many days will work for you. Mom life can be crazy and Strong Life a Mutha works with you - not against you. Each workout is 30 minutes or less!
Video Library
Each exercise within your program will have a video alongside it so that you never have to worry if you’re doing the exercise incorrectly. You will always know what to do and how to do it.
Facebook Group
Postpartum can feel lonely. Whether you are 6 weeks, 6 months, or 6 years from when you gave birth, it can feel like you’re in a hole by yourself surrounded by needy little humans. The SLM private Facebook group gives you an instant community of like-minded moms. They are where you were, have the same goals as you, and are ready to root each other on to greatness.
You’ll also gain access to informational videos that I’ll be hosting in the Facebook group to better equip you with the knowledge you’ll need to feel even more confident and capable in your body.
Are you ready to restart your fitness journey and kick your pelvic health symptoms to the curb?
The Strong Like a Mutha Collective is an ongoing online program that is available to you for the price of $107 + GST per month.
Wondering about who’s coaching you through this program?
Hi, I’m Caroline Botting and 5 years ago, I was exactly where you are now. I had just had my second kid and was feeling even more broken, sad, scared, and depressed than after having my first. I was a fitness professional and my body felt like it was revolting against me. All I wanted was for it to feel like it used to, and to be able to do what I used to. Even with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and being a Certified Personal Trainer with over 15 years experience, I needed help to deal with my pelvic health symptoms (thank goodness for pelvic health physiotherapists). I also realized that I needed more specialized education to train women postpartum, so I went out and got some. I want women to feel empowered, strong, and capable to do whatever they want with their bodies, and to not have bodies that feel foreign and broken.
You deserve to have the information, help, and compassion that gets you back into your life feeling capable and strong. That’s why I do what I do.
Not sure if Strong Like a Mutha is for you?
Strong Like a Mutha is for moms who want to begin their postpartum movement and fitness journey to get back into their most loved activities.
You’re unsure where to begin and how to stop peeing your pants or feeling like your insides are falling out.
You want to learn how to make your body work for you instead of against you.
You no longer want your life to be stuck revolving around where the nearest toilet is, and having the shitty pelvic health injuries running your life.
You’re done with watching life pass you by and want to get back to moving how you want, when you want, without feeling broken.
Here’s why you need Strong Like a Mutha:
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You’re done with the worry of what pants to wear when you work out for fear of peeing yourself, how much you’re knocked down with back pain after a day of kid lifting, and feeling like you can’t get back into running, jumping, or your favourite activities for fear of your vag falling out.
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You don’t want the hodgepodge of fitness you find on YouTube because you know they won’t work for the long term.
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You want fitness and movement to be a consistent part of your lifestyle and want the accountability of a coach and group of moms to help you keep at it.
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You don’t want to end up on the sidelines of your life due to injury ever again. And god forbid you do, you want to know that your setback will be TEMPORARY.
Why now?
Having a kid or 2,3, etc throws a lot on your plate. Between the snacks, feedings, diapers, tantrums and sleep deprivation, life is real! Add in the loneliness, and changes to your relationships, and then top it all off with being worried about how to move your body, and then peeing yourself when you do move, and you may feel ready to give up.
You know that moving your body helps with so many things. It’s a mental break that you need and crave. It can make you feel strong and capable. You want fitness to be a part of your life, not only now but for the long term. You definitely don’t want those crappy symptoms to stick around though, and want nothing more than to get back to what you used to do.
While it might not seem like a big deal now to pee yourself when you move, ignoring why it’s happening and waiting longer won’t magically make your problems disappear. If not now, when will you decide that what you want and need is worth it?
The good thing is that you don’t have to start big. You don’t have to add hour-long workouts to your life. You can start small and, step by step, get back to moving your body like you want to. And along the way of getting back to what you used to do, you’ll be even stronger than before and more prepared for the future. I sure want to be able to carry in all the groceries, or open that can, or move how I want when I’m 80 - how about you?
Now is the time to reduce leaking, get rid of the back and pelvic pain, and to get the strong and functioning pelvic floor and body that you need for your active life.
Now is the time to stop saying no to the life you want and to start saying yes to the one that is waiting for you. The life that has you happy, healthy and ready to go all with kid(s) in tow.
FAQs
Who exactly is this program for?
Strong like a Mutha is for women who:
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want to get back into fitness after having a kid(s)
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want to kick their symptoms (incontinence, pelvic pain, feelings of prolapse) to the curb
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want to make fitness a part of their life with kid(s) in tow
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want to rid themselves of the worry that injury is right around the corner the minute they start to move again.
Can’t I Just Do YouTube videos On My Own?
Sure, you could look up postpartum workout videos on YouTube. There are thousands of them. But you know they won’t work for the long term.
What you get from going on this journey inside Strong Like a Mutha, is the piece of mind that what you’re doing is backed by science. Working with a qualified and trained professional in a safe and intimate space is exactly what you're missing from YouTube. You can't ask YouTube questions or ask for clarification. YouTube doesn't offer real time, human support - and you get that and more within Strong Like a Mutha!
You also get a community of moms going through the same program with you. A group of like-minded women who are all ready to cheer you on and lift you up on those days that life feels hard.
What is the TrueCoach app and how would I use it?
The TrueCoach app is a platform that allows you to see an entire week’s worth of workouts on any device that you want Apple, Android, whatever you have, if there’s an app store, you got it. Within your workouts, each exercise has its own video and instructions in case you can’t quite remember what it should look like. You’ll check off each workout day and that sends a message straight to me to let me know that you’re rocking it out. Within the app as well, is a messaging centre where you can chat with your coach if you have questions or concerns about your program.
What do I need to have for equipment to be the most successful?
While you can get through the Foundations program with minimal equipment, there are a few things that will make your time in it more successful.
I recommend that you have a band, a band loop, as well as a lighter and heavier set of weights.
Once you move into the SLM Collective, I recommend having a set of light, medium, and heavier weights as well as the band and band loop.
If you aren’t able to get these things before you start, don’t fret. There are modifications available for the exercises as well as the ability to use things that you can find around your house as replacements.
What if I can’t make it to the live classes?
If you can’t make it to the scheduled time for the class, you don’t have to worry. Stuff happens (especially with kids in the mix) and I don’t want you to miss out. The recording of the class will be available to you through our private playlist for you to watch, and rewatch whenever you want.
What’s the difference between one-on-one training and the Strong Like a Mutha program?
The difference is the amount of customization to your program.
One on one programming is developed with a specific personal goal in mind that can be changed more freely.
The Strong Like a Mutha Program (both Foundations and Collective) is a group program developed around the communal goal of getting back into fitness and then continuing in fitness without the worry of injury. This allows for the program to be more cost effective.
Both are great options, so it might be the cost that is your deciding factor.
"I don't have any time"
Time is a precious commodity - especially when you’re always ON for a little human. It can seem daunting to actually consider your needs and make yourself a priority.
The great part about the Strong Like a Mutha program is that you don’t need hours upon hours all in a row to get your workouts done. No workout is longer than 30 minutes and there are options to break them up into even smaller blocks of time. That way you’ll still get your needs met and have time to sit or shower during that naptime.
"I’m scared to take time for myself and I’m nervous to invest in myself"
I get it. You’re a mom. You’re more than yourself now and you have a lot on your plate. But you still are a person with needs, desires, and goals. You might not know what it’s like to think about these things for yourself anymore but losing yourself down the rabbit hole until your kids are grown ups can’t be the only option.
You’re told by social media that having self-care time requires you to sip wine and chill, or to take bubble baths. But you want more for yourself. You want to be able to move without peeing yourself. You want to have pain-free sex, to not have back pain when you lift up your kid, to not feel like your insides are falling out of you whenever you move. You want to move how you want, when you want, without stressing about injury. You want more for yourself than to Netflix and chill and you deserve it.
Taking care of your needs, and your wants is just as important as taking care of your kids. Having them see that also lets them know that you value yourself and want the best for both you and them. You’re sick of being stuck on the sidelines, unable to run after them or play with them without peeing yourself. Allowing yourself the ability to do what you need ultimately helps you live IN your life instead of outside of it, constantly worried that you’ll injure yourself.
Why do I have to apply and what happens after I submit my application?
I want you to thrive in the Strong Like a Mutha Program and that is why I want to make sure that you are a good fit for it. There is no judgement here, just a desire to help you be as successful as possible.
After you submit your application, I’ll review it and you’ll hear back from me within 24 business hours. If you’re accepted, you’ll receive an email from me with a payment link and an invitation from TrueCoach to set up your profile.